Nearly 100 Democrats on 2024 ballot in Arkansas – the most since 2012

Welcome to Winning Wednesday!

OK, so these Democrats have not won their races yet.  But just contesting all these races – more than 60 in the State House, and all four Congressional districts – is a win!  It shows that Democrats

and Progressives are alive and kicking in AR, and gives people a choice to vote Democrat and Progressive all up and down the ballot.  THIS. This is such an important part of how we change the direction of this country. 

State Party Chair Grant Tennille said the candidates include retired military officers, public school teachers, students, farmers, and parents.  The Progressive Arkansas Women PAC supports people like State Representative Jamie Scott, North Little Rock (pictured), who said, “My family was at the forefront of the civil rights movement. Speaking up and elevating my voice on issues that deeply impact my community is in my blood.”

Tennille credited AR Governor and former Trump spokesperson Sarah Huckabee Sanders, for leading the bad “conduct and political arrogance of the supermajority [GOP] party,” which is lighting a fire under Democrats. For example, Sanders recently bought a $19,000 custom lectern to speak from, an issue known as “Lecterngate.”   More seriously, the GOP has put forward a truly brazen and outrageous education initiative called the LEARNS Act. The fine NPR show Code Switch breaks that down here.

CA Governor Gavin Newsom took note, and sent out a message encouraging people to support the Arkansas Dems, a rare and very welcome nod from a national leader to an important fight in the South.

A shout out to the strong mission statement from Arkansas Democrats:

Our work doesn’t stop until the single mom has health care. Until the teacher gets a raise. Until the senior can pay their electric bill and eat three meals a day. Until the Dreamer has citizenship. Until every child gets a quality education and a safe education, no matter their zip code. And until we can tell everyone regardless of their creed or color that we are not satisfied with saying “we’ve come a long way.”

We can’t be the party that we used to be, because we aren’t the same state we used to be. And we have to have faith that a better Arkansas is possible, if we work together.